Revolutionary War Pension Application of William Beckwith, Morgan Co., Ohio;
Enlisted Frederick Co., MD
Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Bill Thayer (whthayer@verizon.net)
Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/md/mdfiles.htm
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[Pension Application for William Beckwith of Morgan County Ohio - National
Archives Microfilm M 804, roll 197 - transcribed by William H. Thayer
State of Ohio
Morgan County
On this the 21st day of July 1832 personally appeared in open court before
Thomas Irvin President Joseph P. Linn & David O. Gary associates - the judges
constituting said court & being the court of Common Pleas now sitting. William
Beckwith resident of Morgan county Morgan township & state of Ohio aged about 74
years who being first duly sworn according to law deposeth & saith & on his oath
doth make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act
of Congress passed June 7th 1832 - That he entered the service of the United
States under Capt Jacob Sloy in Col William Beatties regiment, that which was
commanded by Col Guess & Major Benjamin Ogle in the spring of 1776. In this
spring he enlisted & for the term of six months as he now remembers he was
required to do camp duty. In the spring of 1777 he went out & stayed one year.
He went from Frederick in Frederick County Maryland when he enlisted to the Whit
Marsh crossing the Schuyki8ll at Reading. He enlisted this time for one year
under Capt Ludwick _____ & Col. Guess.
This deponent while lying at White Marsh was in a skirmish at the Rising Sun.
Capt. Bailey who commanded this deponents company & half the company ran away
when the other half of the company of which deponent was one & another company
commanded by Capt McLene who then commanded the whole were obliged to contend
with an overpowering force & fight their way back as well as they could. This
was affected with the loss of a few men.
He was in the battle at Chestnut Hill Col. Morgan Gen Greene & General Smallwood
were there. The battle began in the afternoon & lasted till near night. He was
so situated that he could see but little & has no distinct remembrance of what
transpired.
Before the Battle of Germantown the provisions were sent off to Bethlehem for
safe keeping & this deponent suffered much both before & after the battle for
the want of something to eat. After the battle of Germantown this deponent &
some others found about a bushel of corn which they threw on the coals & cooked
& ate it. A few days after this battle the British built up fires at the
commencement of night near the American lines to make an alarm. When the
American army marched to the fires they found them deserted. This deponent had
just put a cake of dough in the ashes to bake when the alarm was given & he was
obliged to take it our & eat it unbaked so he marched to meet his company at the
battle of Germantown Lieut. Col Michael Crist of this deponents regiment but not
of his company was killed. Gen Wayne was in the battle & attached a large stone
____ in Germantown which was full of British. He encouraged his soldiers to
fight & told them to remember _____ & to give no quarter. The battle began about
bed time & lasted nearly all night. When the battle of Brandywine was fought
this deponent was in the Regiment commanded by Col ______ marching to the
battle. They however were too late & did not arrive there. It ended while they
were marching thither & they _____ them marched up the Schuykill to Reading &
from thence to the White Marsh where they were stationed. This deponent served
in no regular company nor regiment. He was paid eight dollars per month in
continental money. He ____ marched in the fall from White Marsh to the ____
hills where he was quarter for the winter. This deponent never served in any
regular company nor regiment - he knows many regular Regiments but can not ___
their numbers or officers. In the spring succeeding the winter when he was
stationed at the ____ hills he received his discharge but he does not remember
who gave it. It is however lost. This deponent served as a guard to Burgoynes
men which they lay at Frederick a term not remembered but between 6 & 12 months.
He also served as a guard to the Hessians while he was stationed at Frederick
which he thinks was from three to six months. He was constantly called into
short terms of service to small & too numerous to be particularly enumerated &
which the [?] faculty of his memory will not allow him to [?] recall. He
remembers however that he was called out several times to quell & ____ the
tories who made much trouble about Frederick. He thinks that for 5 years he was
not enabled to do for himself the work of one year by reason of the calls that
were so constantly made upon him by the country. He was born in Frederick county
Maryland on Rock Creek about 12 miles from Washington city. He has no _____ of
his age. He was living in Frederick county when he was called into service. He
was a volunteer & ____ who enlisted for 6 & for 12 months & for the rest of this
time he _____ was called out by order of his militia officers. His memory has
been very treacherous & he does not remember the names of the regular officers
except he hears them spoken except then above named. He is acquainted with
General Alexander McConnell [?] Judge _____Lewis PB Johnson Wm Hawkins Jonathan
Porter Francis O. Barker Luther D. Barker Jacob Adams Edwin ____ & with ____ all
the farms at the west of portion of Morgan county. He is not known to the
clergyman in his vicinity. This deponent knows of no documentary evidence nor
other testimony except that of Benjamin Beckwith whose deposition is hereto
annexed. He lived in Frederick county until he came to this state about 13 years
ago Where he has lived since.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the
present & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any
state.
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.
Wm Beckwith [shaky signature]
Attest PB Johnson clerk
Mr. William Hawkins & Michael Wiseman & William Dawes residing in Morgan county
Morgan township Ohio hereby certify that we are acquainted with William Beckwith
who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be
about 74 years of age that he is respected & believed in the neighborhood where
he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution & that we concur in that
opinion.
William Hawkins
Wm Dawes
Michael Wiseman
Sworn to & scubscribed in open court July 21 1832 PB Johnson clerk
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of
the matter & after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the war department
that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier & ____ as he stated.
And the court further certifies that it appears to them that William Hawkins
William Dawes & Michael Wisemen are credible persons & that their statements are
entitled to credit & that the persons named by the applicant in answer to the
7th question [?] propounded by the court under the direction of the war office
are credible persons to whom statements ____ _____ ____ ____ ___ They further
say that they believe the applicant was a soldier of the revolution - that he
_____ as he states & that his claim to a pension is generally if not ______
allowed to be just in the vicinity where he lives.
I P____ B Johnson clerk of the court of Common Pleas of Morgan county Ohio do
hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the court
aforesaid in the matter of the application of William Beckwith for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of office this 21st day
of July AD 1832.
P.B. Johnson Clerk
State of New York
City of New York __
Rebecca Beckwith of said city being duly sworn doth depose and say that she is
the daughter of the late William Beckwith formerly residing in Morgan County
Morgan Township State of Ohio now deceased who departed this life on or about
the 27th day of October. One Thousand Eight hundred and thirty six - That her
late father was Revolutionary Pensioner under the Government of the United
States as she was informed and believes and as also appeared by the pension
certificate granted to the said William Beckwith and now in the possession of
this deponent a copy whereof is hereunto annexed - and deponent further saith.
That her mother the wife of the said William Beckw3ith died when this deponent
was quite a child. That her father and mother were legally married and had three
children viz - Two Sons and one Daughter (This Deponent) That the names of the
Sons were Richard and Tobias - That the former left his fathers house many years
ago and it was said went to the State of Maryland but for several years viz
since the year One Thousand Eight hundred and nineteen there has been no
information in relation to him to Deponents Knowledge or belief. And he has long
since been reported and believed to be dead and Deponent verily believed that
the said Richard is dead and further saith that the other son Tobias did in
Morgan County State of Ohio on the Sixteenth day of January in the year One
Thousand Eight hundred and twenty three as this deponent is informed and
believes and Deponent further saith that she is now the only surviving legal
heir of the said William Beckwith deceased to the best of her Knowledge and
belief and deponent further saith that she is wholly unable to set forth or
particularly describe except from hearsay what were the services her late Father
rendered as a soldier in the Revolutionary army and therefore refers for proof
of such Service to the war department where she has been informed and believes
that such proof was filed preliminary to his becoming a pensioner under the Act
of Congress relative to pensioners passed June the Seventh One thousand Eight
hundred and thirty two. And lastly Deponent saith that she is unmarried and is a
resident of the City of New York and further saith.
Rebecca Beckwith
Sworn in open court this 4th day of October 1838 before me. Joseph J. ______
Clerk
[a pre-printed form which has been filled out]
BRIEF in the case of William Beckwith
Of Morgan County in the state of Ohio
(Act 7 June, 1832)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Open Court of Common
Pleas
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disable by bodily
infirmity? [no answer]
3. How old is he? 74 years
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
Period Duration of Service Rank Names of Gen and Fld
Offc
In 1776 6 mos Private Col William Beatties
Capt [?] Guest Sloy
In 1777 1 yr Private Col Guess
Capt Ludwick [?] Cump
In 1778 9 mos Private as a volunteer in the
militia
Names not remembered
In addition to the foregoing
He was in a number of tours for short periods
5. In what battles was he engage? Chestnut Hills, Skirmish in Rising Sun, and
Battle of Germantown.
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Frederick Frederick Co.
Maryland
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by
traditionary eveidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? A living
witness
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? And if so, in what
respect? Correct
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence
in the case above mentioned.
Charles Sitle Wm Allison Examining Clerk
[new document - typewritten]
February 19, 1931
Mrs. Edward Barkhurst Rev. & 1812 Wars Section
Box 54 MCS:MLB
Malta, Ohio
Dear Madam:
You are advised that it appears from the papers in the Revolutionary War
pension claim, S. 2071, that William Beckwith was born "in Frederick County,
Maryland, on Rock Creek, about twelve miles from Washington City", date not
given.
While a resident of Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland, he enlisted in the
spring of 1776 and served six months as private in Captain Jacob Sloy's company,
in Colonel Guess' or Colonel William Beatty's Maryland regiment. He enlisted in
the spring of 1777 and served one year as private in Captain Ludwick Camp's or
Captain Bailey's company in Colonel Guess' Maryland regiment, and was in a
skirmish at Rising Sun and the battle of Chestnut Hill. He served between six
and twelve months and was engaged in guarding the prisoners who were captured
when Burgoyne surrendered and were stationed at Frederick. He also served from
three to six months as guard of the Hession prisoners at Frederick. He served
many other short tours, no further details given.
He was allowed pension on his application executed July 21, 1832, at which
time he was about seventy-four years of age and was living in Morgan Township,
Morgan County, Ohio, where he had moved about 1819.
William Beckwith died October 27, 1836, in Morgan County, Ohio.
In 1838 Rebecca Beckwith of New York City stated that she was the daughter of
William Beckwith, the soldier; that her mother, name not given, died when she
was quite a child, and that her mother and father also had two sons, Tobias, who
died January 16, 1823, and Richard, who had left home many years before,
supposedly to go to Maryland, and had not been heard from since 1819, and had
"long since been reported and believed to be dead".
Very truly yours,
E. W. Morgan
Acting Commissioner